Ephesians 2:19-22 / Luke 6:12-19 (2016)
The feast of St. Simon and St. Jude is celebrated on the same day probably because they both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia where it is said they had both been sent.
But nothing certain is known about them besides the fact that they were called as Apostles by Jesus.
The letter of Jude which forms part of the New Testament is accredited to St. Jude, and he was also related to Jesus as cousins.
Like most of the other apostles, St. Simon and St. Jude were literally unknowns and could be said to be very ordinary and simple people.
Yet God chose them to be instruments of the proclamation of His Good News and to be the foundations of His Church.
Both also suffered martyrdom. St. Simon is often represented in art with a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom.
As for St. Jude, nearly every image depicts him wearing either a medallion or a portrait with a image of Jesus.
St. Jude is also the patron saint for those in a desperate and urgent need. We have heard of enough testimonies to say that St. Jude is a powerful intercessor for us.
As we celebrate the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, let us also ask for their prayers that we live out the Good News of salvation in our simple and ordinary lives.
More importantly, may we always carry the image of Jesus in our hearts and be a witness to His love in our lives.